


One, Two, Three

by orphan_account



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Dean - Freeform, F/M, Ghouls, I hate John Winchester, JOOOOO WHYYY, JOOOOOO, Jo - Freeform, Jo Harvelle - Freeform, Joan - Freeform, Sam - Freeform, Unrequited, Winchester - Freeform, castiel - Freeform, i hate ruby, jo harvelle/dean winchester - Freeform, we dont speak of ruby
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-04-30
Updated: 2018-05-15
Packaged: 2019-04-30 08:36:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,415
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14493054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: One.Two.Three.The first numbers taught to a toddler, the last numbers heard to ring in the New Year.Leto McCroy recognizes those numbers as the unspoken words of her mother. The last three numbers that separated her mother from death. The countdown to her father's dementia. The lead-up to her vanished sister.And now she's forced to watch as the first person she fell for falls for someone else.But as the saying goes- what use are hunting 'buddies' if you can't use them for revenge?UPDATES EVERY MONDAY.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

  * For [humanity](https://archiveofourown.org/users/humanity/gifts).



> This story takes place in Season Four

**Prologue:**

 

“Don’t forget,” a Hispanic woman stood crouched behind a car, speaking in a hushed whisper to a teen that looked to be her daughter. “Ghouls take on the shape of their last kill. So no matter how human they seem, it isn’t  _ Senor Robert. _ ” The teen nodded quickly, her curly hair bobbing slightly. Everything about her position was stoic and determined, seemingly without fear. Her eyes only portrayed her thoughts. Uncertainty.

“Hey, it’ll be alright, Leto.  _ Te amo _ ,” the woman affectionately put her hand on the teen’s cheek, pushing a dark brown curl from her eyes. “If anything happens to me, don’t look back. Just run.” With that, the woman stood up, helping Leto to her feet. Leto brushed the dirt off of her jeans.

“Now, Leto, what do we do before we go in?” the mother instructed, taking a gun from her holster and loading it with a faint  _ clack _ . Leto drew in a shaky breath and shifted where she stood. 

“Examine our surroundings and look for a safe entry point,” Leto recited back to her mother, quiet voice trembling just barely at the end.   
“Good. Now we observe,” her mother nodded approvingly, starting to look around the car that they stood behind. Leto mimicked her stance and actions. 

They stood in a clearing off the side of the road, a small hut placed near the edge of a forest. The hut looked dark and empty. Leto knew better. They had been tracking the ghouls for days, the trail leading right up to the old farmer’s hut. The rest of the farm had long ago been replaced with a road, leaving the hut to stand alone. Leto and her mother, Mrs. McCroy, had originally thought it was a vengeful spirit- the farmer, to be specific. It had been revealed to be ghouls when an eyewitness managed to drive away as her friend was stolen from the car. The eyewitness reported that it was the long-missing Kneil Alberts who had kidnapped her friend. One clue led to another until finally, Mrs. McCroy and Leto had determined it was three ghouls. 

The trees seemed to loom dangerously over Leto as her mother motioned for them to start moving. Leto started to quietly make her way out from behind the car, a tension settling over her muscles. Something wasn’t right about this situation. Surely the ghouls would have noticed their car parked across the street. Or the quiet footsteps that rang through the forest. Or even smelled them- ghouls did have a better sense of smell right? 

“Mama,” Leto said, trying to keep her voice down. “Shouldn’t the ghouls have noticed us or something?” 

“If they did, they would have come out to us before we came for them,” Mrs. McCroy reassured her daughter. Leto didn't miss the flicker of unease that traveled across her face. She allowed a small shiver to run down her spine. Finally, they reached the door. Leto leaned in to look through the window. She frowned. 

“Mama,” she said in a voice just above a murmur. “There’s only two. And some corpses.” She pulled her eyes away from the bloodied bodies just too late for the image to be burnt into her memory. Mrs. McCroy frowned. 

“The last ghoul is probably out looking for more meat,” she decided after a moment. “We’re going in. On the count of three, I’ll bust through the door.”

_ One.  _

_ We heard the rustling behind us a bit too late.  _

_ Two.  _

_ I watched as a knife plunged through Mama, her face contorted with pain. Blood stained across her shirt. Her eyes widened- froze- _

_ Three.  _

_ I ran.  _


	2. Orange Baseball Caps and Festival Craps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Dean and Sam head to Klensnare, TX to find a horde of demons while they chase demon omens. They are unexpectedly joined by Cas on their quest.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TAKES PLACE IN S 4

“So. Revelation signs again?” Dean said absentmindedly from where he sat in the driver’s seat, hands on the wheel. Sam let out a small sigh of exasperation. 

“At least  _ try  _ to seem excited,” he rolled his eyes and stifled a grin, holding a book in his hands. “Not this time, actually. Just loads of normal demon signs. Bugs, bad electricity…” 

“The whole nine yards,” Dean finished with a small nod. “Don’t we have bigger fish to worry about? Like… the looming apocalypse, for example.” Sam closed the book.

“These demons could be opening a seal,” Sam pointed out. “I mean, you don’t get a gathering of demons in Mexico-bordering towns just for kicks. Let’s at least take a look.”   
“Yeah, yeah, whatever,” Dean glanced out the window to see a small hut nestled in the trees fly by. “When do you think we’ll leave the forest and get somewhere with a bathroom?” 

“Very soon,” a voice from the back seats suddenly spoke up. Dean and Sam jumped, causing Baby to swerve while Dean steered the car back into place. Sam let out a small breath as he looked back. 

“Cas,” Dean grumbled, looking at the rearview mirror. “Really? Next time you do that, I’m going to personally stop the car just to throw you out. We could have crashed, man!” 

“Angel,” Castiel corrected with a stony expression. “And I don’t think you would be able to throw me. Besides, we have more important matters to deal with.” 

“Like the demon infested town we’re headed to?” Sam muttered as he stared at the seemingly endless road. “I don’t see why that would need angel intervention. Unless it’s a seal.” He looked at Cas expectantly. 

“That’s just it,” Castiel replied gravely. “We don’t know what the demons are doing at Klensnare Village. I was sent to find out. It’s purely coincidental that we are headed to the same destination.” His blue eyes stayed trained directly ahead, though Dean was sure he saw Cas flinch slightly in the rear view mirror. 

“No offense, Cas, but I’ll eat my car if it’s a coincidence,” Dean said with raised eyebrows. “You’ve been our angelic  _ babysitters _ . And it seems to me that none of you heavenly ‘beings’ believe in coincidence.” 

“Even if it wasn’t, my orders prevent me from speaking freely to you,” Castiel said with a frown. “Heaven works in my-“ 

“You keep trying to give me that ‘mysterious ways’ crap and I really  _ will  _ throw you out of this car,” Dean interjected, eyes still trained ahead. Cas didn’t reply. 

“Uh, we’re here,” Sam broke through the light tension suddenly, nodding to a sign. The tall blue sign read ‘ _ Welcome to Klensnare Village!’  _ in chipped paint. An equally run-down looking wooden sun peeked out from behind the sign, a wide grin on its yellow-brown face. 

“That’s not creepy at all,” Dean remarked. As Baby pulled into the town, the three all grimaced. 

Klensnare Village was pretty run down. Most of the buildings they passed had chipped paint and broken shutters. A few even had broken windows. The roads themselves had faded paint and greying asphalt. Yet, the town wasn’t quiet. 

“This is too normal for a demon-infested village,” Sam voiced the thought running through their heads as he stared at a joyful passerby. Everyone they passed in the Chevy expressed normal emotions. They didn’t seem endangered or afraid. In fact, the town almost looked… happy. 

“Their village is rather broken and old,” Castile added on. “Work of the demons, I assume.”

“We’ve been in some pretty nice neighborhoods for our jobs lately,” Dean started in an explanation. “This town… it ain’t as lucky as some of the other ones we’ve been to. It’s… less funded.” He struggled to find the words to explain it to the angel. 

“I see,” Cas uttered, a hint of confusion in his voice. “Well. We should search for demons.” 

“Oh, crap,” Sam suddenly groaned, leaning back into his seat. Dean shot him a questioning glance. Sam pointed to a sign sticking out of a strip of dirt by the sidewalk. Dean slowed the car to read it out loud. 

“‘June 14th; Get up bright and early for the… Summer Festival?’ Sounds stupid,” he snorted with a shrug, pushing the Chevy back into a light jog. 

“I believe Sam thinks this will hamper our progress today,” Castiel pointed out. “The crowds of people will be easy to hide a demon in.” 

“Now we know why all those townspeople were excited,” Sam said. “The Summer Festival. Just  _ great _ .” 

 

* * *

 

After two solid hours of scouring crowds of people bustling through booths, the trio had managed to spot a demon. They left Baby parked by a local barber to walk through the throngs of festival and find a target or sign that demons were occupying the village. Cas, to be specific, had found one just as it was finishing a conversation with who he assumed to be another demon. So naturally, the angel had insisted that Dean and Sam follow his lead in trailing the demon. 

The demon was inhabiting a Hispanic man with an orange baseball hat that made him easy to follow. When he made the mistake of ducking into an empty alley, Dean shoved him against a brick wall with the demon knife pressed to his neck. 

“Make a move and it’ll be your last,” Dean threatened in a low voice. The demon simply laughed at the glare that had settled on his face. 

“What’s so funny?” Sam questioned from where he stood behind his brother. Cas tilted his head slightly in bewilderment.  

“We have you cornered against brick,” Castiel explained to the demon in a monotone. “I see nothing humorous about this situation.” 

“Oh it’s nothing,” the demon forced his body to grin, eyes blackening. “You hunters seem to be everywhere. Why, I saw your little friend kill one of my brothers just a day ago.” Dean raised an eyebrow, glancing at Sam. 

“Last I checked, no one we know is in Klensnare,” Sam said as he glanced between Dean and the demon. “What do you mean by friend?”

“Why should I tell you,  _ Winchester _ ?” the demon cackled. Dean pressed the blade further into his neck, drawing a bit of blood from a newly opened wound. The demon hissed, expression contorting to pain. 

“I assume the demon is speaking of another hunter’s arrival in Klensnare,” Castiel informed the Winchesters. “I was not made aware of this. We may need to investigate why they have come. But for now, we can send this demon away.” In two long strides, Cas walked up to the demon and pressed his fingers to his forehead. A bright light shined out of his eyes and mouth for less than a moment. The freed man collapsed, unconscious.  

“Hey, why’d you do that?” Dean indignantly asked. “We could have gotten more information on the demon problem.” 

“The demon wouldn’t have given us any more information,” Cas said, looking at the unconscious man at his feet. “He was useless.”

“Well, then,” Sam turned to the entrance of the alley. “Looks like we have demons  _ and  _ a hunter running loose between Mexico and America.” 

“Jackpot,” Dean took his silver flask from his jacket and drank a swig, screwing the cap back in as he walked back into the festival and light. 


	3. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The search for the demons of Klensnare commences, but with unexpected results. 
> 
> "Just Castiel, not Jesus."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the late update!

“We should split up,” Dean said to Cas and Sam, standing next to them at the edge of the festival. Taking place in the town square, the Summer Festival was joyful and crowded. Booths held popular fair games like ring toss and darts, while a rickety wooden stage showcased a band playing loud and jumpy music for the crowds below. 

“This whole crowd could be full of demons,” Sam argued, looking over Dean’s shoulder to suspiciously eye the crowd. “We can’t just start walking around and interrogating demons like we did with that one.” 

“I agree with both of you,” Cas grimly intervened. “We should stay quiet, but split up to see if we can get any information or an assessment of demon concentration in this village.” He stared up at Sam and Dean as if challenging them to disagree. They consented reluctantly, each heading in a different direction under Castiel’s instruction. 

They searched every corner of the fair but were surprised to find no trace of demons even existing in the run-down place. Dean passed suspicious people, but none of them even resembled demons. There wasn’t even sulfur. Muttering incoherently to himself, Dean pulled out his flip phone and dialed Sam’s number. Sam picked up in a matter of minutes. 

“Sam,” Dean said across the phone. Sam replied with a small ‘hey’. 

“We’ve been searching this festival for almost an hour,” Dean grumbled, watching as a brunette walked by him and nodding to her with a smirk. The girl glared at him, her brown eyes narrowed in annoyance. As Dean watched her retreating form (and barely listened to Sam’s yakking) he saw a dagger hanging off of her belt. 

An angel blade.

The Hispanic woman walked into a diner that Dean stood in front of, the bell tinkling after her and the door thudding closed. 

“Oh, shit,” Dean huffed, a frown on his face. 

_ Did you listen to anything I said? At all?  _ Sam replied through the phone line, exasperation laced through his voice. 

“I got a lead, Sammy,” Dean quickly shot back. “Call Cas and tell him to meet at the diner-”  
“I’m already here,” Cas’ gravelly voice sounded from behind Dean, who turned around and reached for his gun. Castiel and Sam stood there, the latter clutching his stomach and mumbling something about _‘I hate the angel express.’_  
“Jesus, Cas!” Dean stammered as he dropped back into a relaxed position. “When will you stop creeping up on me?!”   
“Just Castiel, not Jesus,” Castiel stonily replied. “And I will stop when you are hidden from creation. Which will never happen under my watch.” 

“Watch?” Sam let out a painful groan, heaving himself upright. He looked at Cas incredulously. “Are you… spying on us?” Castiel froze, looking down at his tie. 

“Yes,” he answered after a moment’s hesitation, eyes trailing upward again. Dean felt a glare come over his features. 

“You didn't even bother to lie,” he snapped. Castiel tilted his head. 

“But you knew the answer anyway, and I do not lie,” he said expressionlessly. The trio all fell silent, each one with anger or passive feelings boiling. Finally, Sam broke the tension. Again. 

“We don’t have time for this,” Sam decided as he rolled up the sleeves of his flannel shirt. “We have to know what Dean’s lead is. So what did you get?” 

“I saw a few guys that looked suspicious and went in different directions,” Dean lied easily, trying to find a way to get away from their angel watchguard. “We should split up and trail them. Sam and I will go this way and Cas can go that way. Look out for a man with a green shirt and brown boots.” Cas nodded, vanishing with a noise that resembled the fluttering of wings. He was obviously eager to leave the distrustful environment. Sam looked at Dean with a raised eyebrow.

“That didn't seem like the truth,” Sam told Dean, who sighed in response. “What really happened?”

“A… woman passed by me and glared at me,” Dean managed to find the words again. Sam raised his eyebrows as if to say _‘really?’_ Dean sighed and continued. “She had one of those angel blades on her belt. Last I checked, angels don’t randomly hang around crappy towns in Texas. And wouldn’t Cas know if she was here? Unless this is one of their schemes and they’re planting angels around us.”   
“So we need to trail this woman and figure out if she’s an angel watching us-” Sam started.

“Or a demon hunting us,” Dean finished with a grimace. “Lovely day to be alive, innit?” He gestured to the diner behind them with his hand, nudging Sam. The fluorescent lights spelled out ‘Corn Dogs & Hot Dogs!’ joyfully in red and blue on a silver sign that stuck out of an awning. 

“That’s where she is, then,” Sam confirmed. “Let’s head in.” 

* * *

 

“Excuse me, sir,” Castiel tapped the shoulder of what appeared to be a man dressed in a cartoon character suit. It had large ears (black and round) and wore red pants. It even had comical white gloves. A few kids stared up at the mouse-character in awe. 

“What can I do for ya, sir?” the mouse asked in a high pitched voice. “Do you need a hug?” Castiel didn't reply soon enough as black arms wrapped around him and kids cheered. 

“Why are you dressed in a mouse suit? I do not hug men that lie to children,” Cas pushed the mouse off at him with a stoic expression (he could have sworn he heard a child cry ‘Mickey, no!’ as the mouse-man stumbled back). 

“I’m not a man!” Mickey’s voice faltered through the mask. “I’m Mickey Mouse! I live in the clubhouse, and I’m visiting for the summer festival!”  
“Dude, our kids just want to meet the mouse, back off!” a father shouted from a growing mob of people. Castiel’s head tilted for the second time. 

“He lives in a clubhouse of  _ lies _ ,” Castiel announced to the mob, who all watched him with fearful fascination. “I will prove it!” The trenchcoat-wearing angel reached up to grasp a felt ear, the head of the costume tumbling off to reveal a pudgy man with a beard and anger in his eyes. 

“Bastard!” the imposter growled at Cas. Children started to wail and cry, busying parents who were previously watching the scene with raging curiosity. That left the pudgy man, and boy, he wasn’t going to let him get away with this. 

“You ruined my only gig!” the half-costumed man roared as he leaped at the angel. Just as he was about to crush him, Cas vanished. 

* * *

 

The bell attached to the diner’s door tinkled as Sam and Dean pushed their way in. They were immediately met by a pretty waitress with bright blonde hair. Dean’s mood visibly shifted as he gave a small grin. Sam, however, seemed already annoyed. 

“Hello,” the waitress began to speak to Dean sweetly. “I-”  
“Table for two. Booth, please,” Sam interrupted much to Dean’s annoyance. The waitress frowned, turning around to grab menus from the waiter’s station and walk into the diner. 

“Dude!” Dean whispered indignantly to Sam, who only shrugged in response and feigned a look of innocence. The diner had silver walls and long windows, with a bar on the left and a wall of maroon booths on the left. Even the tables and chairs were silver and maroon. 

“Thanks,” Dean muttered to the waitress, taking the menus from her and sliding into the booth. Sam sat across from him, his menu already open. The waitress scurried away from the brothers as fast as she could manage while still staying poised. 

“So who in here is your lead?” Sam asked in a quiet voice. Dean looked up from eyeing the bacon-cheeseburger depicted in the menu, scanning the diner. He finally managed to catch a glimpse of the brunette sitting alone at one of the many silver tables, ordering a salad. He silently gestured to her with a hand. 

“... and hold the salt, please,” the brothers heard her finish as she closed up her menu. Dean raised his eyebrows pointedly at Sam. 

“Probably a demon then,” Sam agreed quickly. “Should the local police take her outside to ask a few questions?”

“That’d be for the best,” Dean agreed, closing his menu sorrowfully and standing up. Sam followed, and the pair walked over to the girl’s table. She looked up with an unreadable expression. As if controlled by remote, both brothers reached into their pockets to bring out badges. 

“Officers Wright and Young,” Sam spoke up as the brunette’s eyes widened and expression turned suspicious. “We’d like to ask a few questions about your aunt.” He shot her a meaningful look. Expression still unreadable, the Hispanic woman just frowned and stood up, clawing a few bills out of the pocket of her camo green jean jacket. She dropped the wad on the table, nodding to the “officers” as she walked out. Sam and Dean were soon following. They managed to steer her to a quiet alley, walking in just behind her.

“What do you want?” the brunette asked innocently, her eyes narrowed and her posture tense.   
“We want to know,” Dean said as he stepped forward. Sam took a gun out of his pocket from a few feet away, aiming it at her head with ease. “What a demon - or angel - is doing in Klensnare.”

To say that they were surprised by her next action would be a ridiculous understatement. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still don't own Supernatural.  
> Giving more coins to wishing fountains as you read this.

**Author's Note:**

> Sam, Dean, and Cas aren't mine. Neither is Supernatural.  
> This will change if I keep wishing on dandelions.


End file.
